Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1887-12-21
Ell THOUGHT YOU LIKED MARTHY!"

One long embrace, and one shy, sweet
kiss ratified this silent promise.
"Put on that pretty lilac dress, Martie,
Monday morning, and meet me at 8
O'Clock just beyond the Sway1e brook, and
in one hour we will be one, and say moth
ing to anybody. Oh. yes; one othe-
thing. viii you trust the children to me
to bring up? Will you give them into my
guardianship completely? Answer yes,
without question"
"Why certainly. Since wei
"All right. Now must really 60, for
there's n thousand things to do. You
will be there?" and rs she answered yes,
he caught her plump little form to his
heart again, and kissed her again for
goodby; and he leaped the fence at a
bound, and in few minutes was at home
about his ''chores," with light heart, for
he loved Martie truly and well, and he
now saw his way to happiness with the
one girl he loved.
Sunday he went away in the morning,
and was gone all day, and only returned
in time for supper.
After the table was cleared, and Mrs.
Hemphill sat down to rest, with q clean
pocket handkerchief folded over her knees,
to save her black silk dress, and her Bible
in her hands, for she always held her
Bible thus every Sunday evening, though
no one could remember ever seeing her
read in it, Jabez arose from his seat and
walked up and down the room in silence.
His mother watched him uneasily.
At last he spoke:
Smother, am thinking of getting mar
ried."
1t was out ut last!
Her fear was we'll placed, and the shock
was great.
"Mother, how would you like Lucinda
Rosencrants for daughter?"
In all her imaginings she had never let
her fancy run riot to an extent that could
have permitted Lucinda Rosencrants to
enter her head as the possible choice Of
her son.
Pretty enough, but coarse and ignorant;
daughter of two idle, dissolute parents;
lazy and sloCenly herself, and fond of
dancing and party going, and all the very
things that Mrs. Hemphill abhorred, it is
nc wonder that she sat pale and shocked
and speechless.
Of nll the girls that she knew, or had
ever heard of, Lucinda was the last one
that she would have chosen, and she could
not bear it.
"I-I thor hit you liked Marthy," she
said, TREMENDOUSLY.
II do like Martha; but you said SO
much
II rather you'd picked her out"-
'She refused me-"
Refused you! guess you're as good
as she any time. Any gal ought to be
proid to get YOU"
"She did not thinkso, and her refusal
did not hurt me long. What do you
think of Lucinda?"
ooh, Jabez, don't ask. I never can
give in to your marrying into that awful
family. Just think of what q set they
are and Lucinda'll be just the same.
There amt another girl that can hold
candle to Marthy if it wasn't for them
there children"
'She gave them all away yesterday, I
heard, to n guardian"
"Jabez, don't you think you conld
change her resolution? Ie amt bound to
Lucindy, be ye:''
"You know, mother, never break my
word"
Mrs. Hemphill groaned.
"lu ruther you nau Il TOOK Martny
with ten young uns to feed and raise than
Lucindy," and she began to cry, where
upon Jabez hurried off.
The next morning Jabez was gone, no
one knew where, and the whole farm
seemed to want him back; though it was
monday, there was no work done, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Hemphill sat dcjectly in the
"best ROOM"
"Father'' said at last, knocking the
ashes out of his pipe:
81 knowed Saturday that sumpin was
up, but I never guessed what, and I'm
blamed if 1 amt sorry for him to go and
take up with that shiftless Lucindy, when
he might a had Marthy, only for your
bein' SO sot agin' them poor little young
sters; and I think Marthy was a-doin' her
duty. I'm blamed sorry"
''Mr. Hemphill, don't swear, and don't
say broke off the match. never done
nuthin', only Friday told Marthy my
opinion about it, and she got mad, and
s'pose said something that maddened
Jabez, for the next day he went off, and
s'pose he asked LuciEdy.
ooh, what on earth shall do? He is
such u good boy, and to throw himself
away so!''
"Well, if You told her your mind in the
same way you tell it to me don't blame
Marthy bit for gittin' mad"
At this juncturc Mrs. Hemphill gave
way to tears, until the noise of wheels on
the gravel outside aroused them both, and